On August 20th, Kevin Rudd, the new Australian Ambassador to the United States, made an important speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He reiterated the critical importance of ensuring a domestic source of rare-earth elements, essential components of advanced military hardware. His comments come as concerns are rising about the United States’ growing dependence on China for these critical minerals.
Rudd also noted that cutting-edge military technologies — from submarines to stealth fighters — are almost completely dependent on rare-earth elements. The ambassador continued, these components are absolutely essential to developing, manufacturing, and operating such sophisticated equipment. If we cannot guarantee a stable supply of these materials, the overall readiness and effectiveness of our military forces will be prematurely jeopardized.
During his speech, Rudd highlighted the collaborative efforts between Australia and the United States to reduce dependence on China for critical minerals. He noted that both countries recognize the strategic importance of locking in a dependable supply of rare-earth elements. This will reinforce their ability to act in defense. Under normal circumstances, this initiative would be considered an enormously positive change in defense policy. It’s intended to enhance national security and encourage more domestic production of military equipment and supplies.
Rudd’s claims highlight an increasing sense of urgency from Western partners over the need to establish more resilient supply chains for critical minerals. At the same time, tensions are rapidly escalating across the Asia-Pacific region. In order to respond to this widening military competition, both Australia and the U.S. need to start bolstering their military capabilities, and more importantly their resource basing.